Egg-case



No. s2|,o44'. Patented Mar. '14, I899. A. DEERWESTER.

EGG CASE 2 Sheots$heei I.

(Application filed Apr.

(No Model.)

.Zhveniafi diva flee/Mariel" 62!,044. Patented. Mar. l4, I899. No A.DEERWESTER.

EGG CASE.

(Application filed Apr. 15, 1598.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

fivenior all/a Jeerwqfler 15y Wifizesses: 2

OQ/d v.

"m: Noam: PETER co PHOYOLITHUH WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVA DEERWESTER OF CULVER, MISSOURI.

EGG-GAS E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters l atent No. 621,644, dated March14, 1899.

Application filed April 1 5 1 8 9 8.

T0 00% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVA DEERWESTER, of Culver, Bates county, Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Egg- Oases, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to egg-cases; and my object is to produce a casewhich is adapted when not filled with eggs to be folded within verysmall compass in order that a car may contain a much greater number ofempty cases than filled ones, and consequently their shipment befacilitated and cheapened.

With this general object in view the invention consists in certain noveland peculiar features'of construction and combinations of parts, as willbe hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that the inventionmay be fully understood I will proceed to describe it with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a perspectiveView of the case when arranged to receive the fillers and eggs, the topor cover being de tached. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the case whencollapsed or folded for shipment. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of thecase, and Fig. 4 a section taken on the line IV IV of Fig. 2. V

In the said drawings, where like numerals designate corresponding parts,a shallow rectangular box 1 forms the base or body portion of myimproved egg-case. The same is preferably constructed of sheet metal,and the sides by preference project slightly higher than the ends, asshown most clearly in Fig. 1, and at the upper edges of both sides andends are formed the eyes or sleeves 2. The eyes or sleeves of the sidesand ends, respectively, carry the longitudinal hinge-rods 3 and thetransverse hinge-rods 4, and said hinge-rods are preferably connectedtogether at the corners of the case by means'of verti cal portions 5,and being thus formed integral serve to stiffen and strengthen theentire case, as will be readily understood. This rectangular baseportion is of regulation eggcase'size, but in practice is only about aninch deep, more or less.

6 designates the sides or wings, which are provided at their lower edgeswith eyes or sleeves 7, pivotally engaging the sections 3 of Serial No.677,649. (No model.)

the hinge-rod, and said sides occupy the same wardly-projectin gguide-sleeves 9, said guidesleeves being arranged at a suitable distancefrom their upper edges and in vertical alinement with the similarguide-sleeves 9, projecting inward from the sides of the base-section,as shown clearly in Fig. 1, to the endthat the board 10, which isadapted to divide the case into two square compartments, may be slippedvertically downward in and be held reliably by said guide-sleeves. Thisboard also serves to prevent the sides or wings from swinging orcollapsing inward under any pressure, and thereby prevents the eggs frombreakage. One of said sides at a suitable 7 point either above or belowits guide-sleeve 9 is providedwith a pair of openings 11 at oppositesides of the partition 10 in order to receive the legs of sleeves 9 ofthe opposite side when the case is folded down to its inoperativeposition, as indicated in Fig. 4. If these openings were not provided,the guide-sleeve 9 of said opposing side would prevent the latter frombeing folded flatly down upon the side beneath, as will be readilyunderstood.

The sides or wings 6 near their opposite ends and asuitable distancefrom their upper edges are also provided with the staples 12, projectingoutward. The function of these staples will hereinafter appear. The ends13 of the case are provided with eyes or sleeves 14 at their loweredges, which are mounted pivotally upon the sections 4 of the hinge-rodand occupy the same vertical plane as the ends of the base-section, andthe aggregate height of said ends 13 and the ends of the base-section isequal to that of the regulation case. The pivoted ends 13 at their sidemargins are provided with inwardly projecting arms or flanges 15, whichfit snugly between the sides or wings 6, and the arms 8 of the latteralso externally clasp said wings 13. By this construction andarrangement the corners of the case are reinforced or of doublethickness, the angles of the ends fitting snugly in the angles of thesides. Consequently an exceedingly stiff, strong, and durable case isproduced. When so arranged, the sides and ends are secured reliably inthis position by means of the angle clips or clasps 16, which are ofinverted-U shape in cross-section and embrace externally and internallythe corners of the case. They arepositioned by simply slipping themdown, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and are as easily removed. \Vhen thecase is arranged'as described, it is ready to receive the customaryfillers and the eggs.

17 designates the detachable lid or cover, provided with dependingannular flange 18 to clasp the sides and ends of the case, and 19 and 20designate lugs depending, respectively, from the ends and sides of thecover, the former being adapted to embrace externally the ends 13 of thecase and the latter to be bent around under the staples 12, so as toconstitute a hook connection therewith, as shown in Fig. 3. Thisprevents any possibility of the lid or cover becoming accidentallydislodged, but presents no difficulty in the way of removing the coverquickly and easily when a person attempts to disengage said hooks 20from the staples 12 by bending the latter outward in an obvious manner.

To prepare the case for shipment in its empty state, the cover, clips,or clasps 16 and the partition 10 are removed, and said partition andclips are laid down in the bot-tom of the case. The ends 13 are thenfolded down into the base section. The side 6, provided with openings11, is then folded down and inward to a horizontal position and isfollowed by the opposite side 6, the guide-sleeve 9 of the latterprojecting downward through the openings 11 of the former, and the arms8 of the latter externally clasp the corresponding parts of the former,as shown clearly in Fig.

4:. i The lid or cover is now slipped down upon the case as folded andthe lugs 19 are bent inward, so as to clasp firmly the ends of thebasesection, and the side lugs 20 are preferably hooked under the bottomof the case or the lugs 20 may be clasped around sections 3 of thehinge-rod, as preferred. By this arrangement it is obvious that there isno possible chance of accidental dislocation of the lid or cover andthat the cases maybe more quickly and easily handled with less chance ofinjury or breakage than ordinary empty ones. It is also obvious that agreat many of these cases can occupy the space of one case when open.-Consequently the transportation of the empty cases is facilitated andcheapened, as will be readily understood.

From the above description it will be ap= parent that I have produced afolding or collapsible egg case which embodies the features of advantageenumerated in the statement of invention and is extremely simple, strongand durable, and cheaper in the end than the old cases by reason of thediminished cost of transportation when empty.

It is to be understood, of course, that I reserve the right to make suchchanges in form, proportion, detail construction, or arrangement of theparts as fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A collapsible or folding eggcase, comprising a base-section, endshinged thereto,- sides also hinged thereto and provided externally withstaples, angle-clips securing the sides and ends together in theirvertical position, and a lid or cover provided with an an nulardepending flange to externally embrace the sides and ends, and with lugsfor engagement with said staples, substantially as described.

2. A collapsible or folding egg-case, comprising a base-section, endshinged thereto and provided with inwardly-projecting arms or flanges,sides also hinged thereto and adapted to externally embrace the armsor flanges of the ends, angle-clips fitting down over the overlappingcorners of said sides and ends and securing them together, and a lid orcover for the case, substantially as described.

3. A collapsible or folding egg-case, comprising a base-section, endshinged thereto, sides also hinged thereto and provided externally withstaples and internally with guidesleeves; one of said sides beingprovided with two openings through which the legs of the guide-sleeve onthe other side may project, a partition 10 fitting in saidguide-sleeves, angle-clips securing the sides and ends together in theirvertical position, and a lid or cover provided with an annular dependingflange to externally embrace the sides and ends, and with legs forengagement with the staples of the sides, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

ALVA DEERVVESTER.

